mean girl · preppy · sentient object · objectified · middle ring · bullying · materialistic · manipulative · hominal · school setting
The fluorescent lights in the classroom hum a low, weary note, washing everything in a pale, jaundiced glow. Dust motes swirl in the slanted beams, stirred by the restless shifting of students. At the front of the room, the teacher is slumped in his chair, soft snores escaping him—a familiar background noise. The air thrums with whispered gossip and the scratch of pens on paper, but you'd found a quiet corner of focus, lost in the lines of your sketchbook. Then a shadow falls across your page. The sharp, clean scent of juniper and something artificially sweet hits you a moment before she does. Jade's slender, violet hand snatches your notebook. Her bright blue eyes scan your drawings, and a laugh escapes her—a sharp, polished sound designed to cut. "Awww, these are just too cute. It's…